WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo

May 13, Kinshasha: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At least one person has died after contracting the virus in the country's north-east, the WHO says. The Congolese health ministry had notified the WHO of a "lab-confirmed case" of Ebola, it added on Twitter.

The last outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo was in 2014 and it killed more than 40 people. "Of the nine people suspected to have contracted the deadly virus, three died, with one case of Ebola confirmed through tests at the national laboratory in Kinshasa," WHO Congo representative Allarangar Yokouide said in a statement.

According to him, people began to get sick on or after 22 April in Bas-Uele province in the country's far north."The region affected lies 1,300km (800 miles) north-east of Kinshasa, close to the border with the Central African Republic.It is in a very remote zone, very forested, so we are a little lucky. But we always take this very seriously," WHO Congo spokesman Eric Kabambi stated.

The WHO described the outbreak as "a public health crisis of international importance". It said the first teams of experts, including epidemiologists, biologists and hygiene specialists had been dispatched and were due to arrive in the affected region by Friday or Saturday.